Because you Live
by ShadowX-Over.Writer
Summary: School life is never easy. Unless a certain someone comes along to make it not as bad. SyncXArietta, one-sided IonXArietta, and minor IonXAnise. AU. Characters from all Tales games included.  Rewritten
1. Chapter 1

The song, "Because you Live" by Jesse Mccartney is what inspired this fic. I feel like it could tell a really good Sync/Arietta story. I really love this couple but haven't been given the chance to really write about them. So this is my first attempt at a SyncxArietta fic. It is a school setting so to not confuse anyone over that. Enjoy!

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Tales games or their characters_

**Because you Live: Chapter 1: Heavy Heart  
**

_Arietta didn't know what to think, all she could do was cry as her tears came pouring down her red cheeks._

_Ion gently rubbed her back soothingly as she cried into his chest. He did his best to comfort her, but she continued to cry and muttered how it was all her fault. Ion didn't believe that and tried to tell her otherwise, but Arietta didn't want to hear that from him._

_She clutched his uniform tightly between her tiny fingers as her whole body trembled uncontrollably._

_Anise stood off to the side, trying to avoid looking at them and instead focused her gaze on the emergency room doors. Her expression softened at the thought of the person behind those doors, praying that he'll be okay. _

_'Sync...you idiot.'_

**(One years ago)**

Arietta slowly walked down the long halls of Teiruzu Academy while clutching a small piece of bright colored paper in her small hands. She glanced uneasily from side-to-side, while occasionally looking down at the map to see if one of the sights corresponded.

Teiruzu Academy was a school founded by Martel Yggdrasill. Her wish was to see the different races come together under one roof and learn together without discrimination. Humans, half-elves, beastmen, Krityans, Amarcians, and Celestians could all interact and train together.*

Not only was the school was known for being the most diverse, but it also had a reputation for teaching the finest warriors. The school had very high expectations and only those who were determined and talented would graduate. Students were only able to get in if they had enough money to pay tuition and pass a certain test or be recommended by one of the faculty.

The only reason that Arietta was able to attend such a prestigious school was because she had been recommended for her ability to communicate with monsters by one of the faculty.

She was currently searching for her classroom but had gotten herself lost amidst the large campus. Since the academy had combined middle and high school grades, the campus was much larger than other schools.

Whenever she tried to ask for directions, her shyness would get the better of her and students would hurry by without care.

She tried following the map of the campus, but only found herself walking in circles for almost an hour, unable to make heads or tails of the different buildings surrounding her.

None of teachers seemed to be wandering around, much to Arietta's frustration. Teachers seem to show up at the most inappropriate times while are no where to be found when they are needed.

'My first day and I'm hopelessly lost...' Arietta sighed mentally while looking around helplessly.

While her attention was elsewhere, her foot suddenly caught a loose root from a nearby tree, sending her crashing to the ground.

"Ow..." Arietta whined before she heard someone chuckle.

Her eyes widened briefly before looking around to find where the source of the sound was but saw no one.

"Try watching where you're going, klutz."

Arietta flinched before looking up to see a boy standing on a sturdy branch near the base of the tree.

He wore a white jacket over a black shirt and pants, which Arietta assumed was the school uniform. The most noticeable trait was his spiky green hair. Upon closer inspection, she noticed a pair of dark sunglasses sitting comfortably over his face.

"U-Um..." Arietta stammered as a smug smirk crept over the boy's expression.

Before Arietta could squeeze out a question, the boy jumped from his perch and landed right in front of her.

The shock of this sudden confrontation caused Arietta to let out a frightened squeak before frantically stumbling backwards.

Her heart was pounding uncontrollably as the boy chuckled amusingly at her reaction. Anger and annoyance colored her face as her eyebrows knitted together.

"Sync, leave her alone."

The boy and Arietta glanced over to see a boy with green hair and equally green eyes standing a little off to the side. He wore the same uniform as the other boy but in a much neater fashion with his jacket buttoned up and ironed.

She heard the boy dubbed as Sync groan in annoyance as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and hastily walked away.

"Hold it," the other boy said, causing Sync to pause.

Arietta glanced uneasily between the two boys, feeling the tension rising in the atmosphere. She could almost see sparks igniting between them.

Sync clenched his jaw in obvious annoyance as the other boy proceeded with his comment.

"This is the third time this week you've skipped class. You realize you're riding along a very thin line, right?" he said in a serious, almost condescending tone.

Though it couldn't be seen, Sync's eyes narrowed as he balled his hands into fists. After a tense moment, the boy gritted his teeth and walked away.

Arietta watched him curiously before he disappeared behind the corner of a building.

An exasperated sigh escaped from the boy, causing Arietta to look over at him as he rubbed his head in annoyance.

"Is everything okay...?" Arietta asked hesitantly before the boy immediately stopped and looked over at her apologetically.

"Ah, sorry you had see all that. Please, don't worry about it."

"O-Okay..." Arietta stammered while fidgeting slightly.

"My name is Ion Fon, part of the student council of the middle school section here at Teiruzu Academy." Ion said with a smile while extending his hand to her.

Arietta stared at it for a moment before hesitantly reaching out and shaking it as a sign of greeting, causing a shy blush to appear on her face.

"A-Arietta Wild," Arietta stammered as she looked down at the ground in nervous reflex. "I-I'm new here."

"Oh, so you just transferred here?" Arietta nodded.

"Are you lost?" Ion asked as Arietta nodded once more.

"Don't worry, I'll help you find your homeroom. This campus does take some time to get used to. I can show you around campus after class if you'd like."

Arietta looked at him in surprise before a small smile spread across her face.

"Thank you."

* * *

"These are the dorms where students can live in which is pretty convenient. The girls live on the west side while the boys on the east." Ion explained while pointing out the two buildings.

The buildings were quite a distance a part, probably for good reason. Both were three stories and stretched out quite a distance to accommodate as many students as possible.

"Students who aren't from the area often choose to live there," Ion said before turning and pointing towards another building off in the distance. "Over there is the training building where students go to get extra practice."

Arietta nodded in understanding before shyly glancing up at Ion.

He was so nice to her, even though they just met. Whenever he smiled, Arietta's heart would beat faster and faster.

A small blush spread over Arietta's face as she continued staring at Ion.

After a while, Ion looked over at her, causing her heart to nearly leap out of her chest.

"Is everything all right?" Ion asked in concern, noticing Arietta's fairly red face.

Arietta let out a squeak of surprise before looking down, but nodded. "Y-Yes. It's just that I'm a little..."

She started nervously fidgeting with her hands again, causing Ion to chuckle.

"Overwhelmed?" Ion asked.

Arietta nodded again sheepishly as her blush deepened.

Ion looked at her curiously, wondering why she had a hard time looking at him as fidgeted rather nervously beside him.

"ION!"

Both Ion and Arietta glanced over to see a dark skinned girl rushing over towards them. She had big brown pigtails with yellow bows tying them in place. Her brown eyes were bright with energy and wore a large smile on her face.

Upon seeing the girl, Ion smiled and waved. "Hi, Anise."

Anise jumped towards him in excitement, landing just a foot in front of him.

"I've been looking all over for you! I was wondering if you got kidnapped." Anise said as Ion chuckled sheepishly.

"You make it sound like I'm a defenseless school girl."

Anise put her hands on her hips before puffing out her cheeks. "You might as well be since you have absolutely no athletic ability and can hardly defend yourself. When you get placed into a unit, you better hope you get placed in one where someone can protect you well."

Arietta looked from Anise to Ion in confusion. A frown formed on her face and furrowed her brow. She unconsciously curled her small hands into fists before placing one over her chest, feeling a small burning sensation. Her eyes darkened with apparent jealousy over how close the two seemed to be.

'Just who does this girl think she is, being all friendly with Ion like that?' Arietta thought venomously.

Though they had just met, Arietta felt an attachment to the green-haired boy and couldn't help but feel as she was obligated to be by his side. Though it seemed selfish, Ion was the first person to take notice of her. While she was lost, Ion found her and helped her rather than passing her by like the other students.

Anise noticed Arietta's glaring and looked over at her incredulously. She narrowed her eyes at the pink-haired girl, uncertain and slightly annoyed at why she was being glared at.

"Who's the new girl?" Anise asked rather rudely, causing Arietta's glare to darken.

"Oh, this is Arietta Wild. She just transferred here not too long ago and I was just showing her around campus." Ion explained, completely oblivious to the apparent hostility in the atmosphere.

"So you're a newbie, huh? I'm Anise Tatlin, nice to meet you!" Anise said in a preppy tone as she stuck out her hand towards the shorter girl intent on shaking hands.

Arietta glared down at Anise's outstretched hand before looking away with a hmph causing Anise to look at her in surprise.

"Boo! What's with the attitude?" Anise pouted as Ion glanced at the two girls worriedly.

Though Arietta tried to keep up a tough front, she couldn't help but steal a small look over at Ion, hoping that he would help her.

Anise took notice of this and realized why Arietta seemed to dislike her before glaring back at her. Arietta caught her glaring and glared back, their eyes emitting sparks.

"U-Um, please calm down. Let's just all be friendly now." Ion said nervously glancing from one girl to the other, completely oblivious as to why they were fighting in the first place.

After a tense moment, both girls stuck their noses into the air and walked off in opposite directions.

Ion started towards Arietta but paused and turned back to Anise. Though he and Arietta had just met, he felt a sense of responsibility over her since she had no one else to turn to. On the other hand, Anise and him had been friends for years and had always been there to cheer him up when he was down. He couldn't help but feel a sense of loyalty to his dear friend.

After several back and forths, Ion finally decided to chase after Anise, who was heading towards the mess hall.

* * *

Arietta furiously walked past several students, ignoring the wary gazes that fell upon her.

She didn't know where she was headed as she was still unfamiliar with the school. But it didn't matter. All she needed was to get away.

After some time, Arietta found herself on the school sport's field. She slowly made her way over to the bleachers and sat down, feeling the cold steel against her legs that made her shiver.

Glancing over her shoulder, Arietta found herself completely alone. She had hoped that Ion would have followed her and felt heart-broken to find that he had not.

'He must have followed _**her**._' Arietta thought bitterly before hugging her legs to her chest and buried her face.

She couldn't help but feel like this was the worst day ever, though she was probably being over dramatic and childish. First, she got lost and now she had a rival for Ion's affections. She admitted that falling in love at first sight only worked out in fairytales, but she still longed for that kind of ending.

Ever since she was a little kid, she had always loved fairytales and always asked her adoptive parents to read one to her every night. When she had met Ion, she felt like one of those princesses who had just fallen in love with their prince. Unfortunately, her hopes of such a fairytale was crushed just like that when that horrible girl, Anise came into the picture and stole him away from her.

As Arietta quietly whimpered to herself, she failed to notice a figure hidden amongst the higher levels of the bleachers.

He sat up a little just enough to get a peak at the whimpering, pink-haired girl. Adjusting his sunglasses, he lad back down and closed his eyes.

* * *

A few weeks had passed since Arietta had transferred and she was already sick of school. She had avoided both Ion and Anise since they seemed to always be together. Though she wanted to be with Ion, she just couldn't stand it when Anise was there.

Jealousy and anger would always burn in her chest whenever she saw them together.

Ion would sometimes approach her after class and ask her what was wrong. He even offered if he could help with whatever was troubling her.

'Make Anise go away!' Is what always burned through her mind, but Arietta would hold her tongue and tell him in a small voice that it was nothing before walking away.

She hated it at the academy and wanted to go back to home schooling with her adoptive parents. Because she never smiled, Anise gave her the nickname of "Gloomietta", much to Arietta's frustration.

All the other students would keep their distance since she would keep a sad frown on her face. Arietta didn't really care about the others, only wanting Ion's companionship. But that seemed to be pretty far out of reach with Anise in the picture.

Not that she disliked everyone, she wasn't adept to making friends easily. However, without any friends, Arietta couldn't confide her feelings to anyone and was forced to bottle her emotions.

She was once again sitting on the field bleachers and curling herself into a ball.

"I hate this school... And that Anise...! I wish they all could just disappear..." Arietta muttered to no one in particular.

There was a soft crunching of grass nearby and Arietta suddenly looked up to see the spiky haired boy she met on her first day of transfer.

His uniform was rumpled and had several wrinkles throughout it as if he hadn't cared to iron it. His hair was still as spiky when she first met him and he still wore those sunglasses that prevented anyone from seeing his eyes. It made Arietta curious as to why he would be wearing such dark sunglasses on a cloudy day.

"Um..." Arietta said as Sync looked down at her with an unreadable expression.

Arietta shrunk back a little as Sync stared down at her. Though she couldn't see them, she felt his eyes boring down into her.

Before she could ask what he wanted, he suddenly stiffened and quickly looked over his shoulder.

He cursed under his breath before reaching down and grabbing hold of Arietta's wrist, yanking her to her feet.

"W-What are you-?" Arietta squeaked before Sync quickly pulled her underneath the bleachers.

He pulled her to him so that her back was against his chest and roughly placed his hand over her mouth to prevent her from making any noise.

Arietta struggled against his grip but was surprised by how strong he was. Though he was only a little taller than she was, he seemed to be able to overpower her easily. She managed to look up at Sync and saw him looking intently to the side.

A moment later, she heard rapid footsteps and heavy breathing. She heard someone come to a pause right in front of the bleachers before a small growl escaped from the person's throat.

"Where did that idiot delinquent go? I could have sworn I saw him head in this direction." the person said before mumbling something incoherently under his breath.

Arietta felt Sync tense slightly before the person on the other side let out an exasperated sigh.

"I swear, when I find him..." the person grumbled before walking off.

After waiting a few moments to make sure he was gone, Sync finally let go of Arietta.

The pink-haired girl let out a couple of coughs before turning angrily towards Sync.

"What in the world do you think you're doing?" Arietta demanded.

"Had to make sure you were quiet. Didn't want stupid four-eyes to find me," Sync replied indifferently as he stood up and slipped one of his hands into his pocket.

"Four eyes...?" Arietta said questionably while tilting her head to the side in confusion.

The boy turned and ran his other hand through his hair in annoyance. "Sheesh, that guy sure is persistent though."

"Why is he looking for you? Are you in some kind of trouble?" Arietta asked curiously.

Sync ignored her and started walking away.

"W-Wait!" Arietta called as she trailed after him.

When she caught up to him, the green-haired boy let out an annoyed grunt.

"What?" Sync said rather irritably causing Arietta to flinch.

"I...I was just wondering...um...why did you approach me?"

Sync was silent for a moment before casually stating, "No reason."

Arietta stared at him in confusion. It was obvious that he was lying, but Arietta just couldn't understand his intent. Why did he just stand there in front of her like he wanted to say something?

The boy suddenly came to a stop, causing Arietta to nearly bump into him.

Before she could question him, he slowly turned towards her and grinned deviously.

Her eyes widened as he started walking towards her. Instinctively, she backed away from him as he closed in on her.

However, her escape became impossible when she found herself backed against a wall.

Sync grinned down at her wickedly, causing Arietta to break out in cold sweat.

After what seemed like forever, an amused chuckle escaped from Sync as he finally backed off.

Arietta was left staring at the boy in a state of bewilderment and confusion as the blood pounded in her ears.

"W-What...What was that about?" Arietta demanded, trying to speak without stammering.

Sync smirked before shoving his hands back in his pockets. "It's amusing how much you act like a timid little animal."

He was making fun of her, kicking her while she was down. Anger flared up within the small girl, causing her pink eyes to darken. Something inside her snapped and she stood up and attempted to slap the boy across the face.

However, her attempt was thwarted when Sync caught her wrist in a quick motion before she could make contact.

Before she could react, he grabbed hold of her other wrist and pinned her against the wall of the building.

The pink-haired lolilita let out a squeak of pain before looking up at Sync who still sported a wicked smile

"S-Stop..." Arietta pleaded as she tried in vain to free herself from his grip.

Sync leaned down towards her, bringing his face dangerously close to hers, causing her face to redden despite herself.

"If you want to fight, fine. But I'm not going to hold anything back just because you're a girl. I **will **crush you." Sync whispered in her ear, sending a chill up her spine.

Was he really going to fight her? If he was, would she even be able to stand a chance? She was more of a support caster and would never dream of charging head first into a battle alone. Though she wasn't sure which class Sync fell under, she had a feeling that he trained in the offensive field. Even if she were to fight back, she doubted she'd last that long considering how fast he had reacted when she tried to slap him.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Sync suddenly released his grip, allowing her to sink to the ground in exhaustion.

"You really are useless without any help," Sync scoffed as he started walking away.

Arietta sat dazed on the ground as she tried to stop her trembling fingers.

Her heart was hammering in her chest from anxiety as she tried to take deep breaths to calm try and calm herself.

'What just happened...?'

* * *

For the next few days, Arietta couldn't focus. After her little confrontation with the spiky haired boy, she felt as if she was always on edge.

Why did it have to be her? Out of all the students in the academy, why did he have to torment her? Wasn't her school life hard enough already?

So many questions were buzzing around in Arietta's head that she didn't notice the bell ring until several students filed past her. She quickly collected her things and rushed out of the classroom to go home.

She hadn't seen Sync since that day as he was probably trying to avoid being found by "four-eyes." Though she was relieved, she still couldn't shake off the feeling that he was watching her from somewhere.

'Stalker,' Arietta said to herself while walking down the path that led her home.

The boy was unpredictable, making him even more dangerous. Arietta never knew when he would show himself and what he would do if he ever decided to appear. Considering there were people constantly trying to track him down, it seemed as if he was constantly on the move.

However, there was something about his parting words that bothered her, more so than the fact that he was insulting her.

She shook her head, wanting to clear her head of such thoughts.

Aside from Ion, Arietta had the feeling that the academy was filled with nothing but selfish jerks. There were those who had tried to get to know her more, but Arietta would shrink away due to shyness. That part was her fault, but everyone she did have the courage to approached would turn the other way.

Who in their right minds would recommend these people in the first place?

Arietta let out a heavy sigh as she walked off the campus grounds and into town.

Why couldn't they all act as kind and dignified as Ion?

Ion...

Looking back, Arietta realized that she hadn't been thinking of Ion after the Sync incident. She wondered how he was doing and if she could possibly talk to him about Sync since he was the only one she felt comfortable talking to. However, she knew that would be impossible since Anise would probably be with him.

"Hey, cutie!"

Arietta whirled around to see a group of suspicious-looking guys loitering in front of an alleyway. They seemed to wear regular high school uniforms in a very sloppy fashion. Their jackets were wrinkled and had their shirts and underwear hanging out.

"Why not come along with us and we'll have some fun!" one of them snickered as he took a step towards Arietta.

The pink-haired girl anxiously took a few steps back as fear ran up and down her spine.

"Come now, we're not going to hurt you." another sneered.

Arietta brought her hands up to her chest as they started trembling. Without a second thought, Arietta made a made a run for it, desperate to get away from the goons.

"After her!"

Her heart pounded in her ears as she sprinted as fast as her little legs could carry her. She could hear them gaining on her as their footsteps and voices grew louder.

If only her brother was around...then they would back off. Unfortunately, he was required to stay home as monsters were not allowed to roam free in town. Without any allies to aide her, she was powerless against them.

She ran down an empty alleyway but realized her mistake and hit a dead end. With her eyes wide in horror, she whirled around to see the group of goons standing at the entrance of the alley.

They all wore toothy grins, looking at her like wolves who had cornered their prey.

Arietta let out a small whimper as she took several steps back. A small bead of sweat ran down the side of her face as she pressed herself closer against the cold, brick wall.

One of the goons, seemingly the leader, snickered before coming forward. He reached out and roughly grabbed Arietta by the wrist, yanking her forward.

Arietta let out a cry of pain as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. So many thoughts ran through her head at that moment, but Arietta blocked them out, too afraid of what was going to happen to her.

"Now, why don't you come with us?" one of them said grinning from ear-to-ear.

Arietta's eyes trembled in fear as tears poured down her face before finding her voice, "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Someone suddenly jumped down beside her and slammed their foot into the goon leader's face, sending him hurtling backwards with amazing force.

"What the hell?" one of the other goons said in shock.

"She said leave her alone."

Arietta stood in absolute shock at Sync standing in front of her. "Y-You...?"

"Why you little punk!" one of the goons growled as he lunged towards Sync.

Sync smirked before charging towards him. He easily dodged the goon's punch before retaliating with a powerful kick to the ribs, causing the goon to crash to the ground in pain.

"You have to do better than that." Sync scoffed as he brought his arms up in a fighting stance.

Two more goons charged at him furiously from opposite sides, hoping to overwhelm the shorter boy. Sync jumped out of the way and over onto a wall before propelling himself off and slammed his knee into one of their faces.

With lightening fast reflexes, Sync rushed the other guy and struck him across the face with his fist. He then grabbed his shoulders and drove his knee into the goon's stomach.

The leader slowly got back on feet while hissing in pain. He grabbed a nearby iron bar and charged towards Sync.

Sync saw him coming from the corner of his eye and quickly ducked out of the way when the leader swung the bar at him. The green-haired boy whirled around and hit the bar out of his hand before he slammed his fist under the boy's jaw with a powerful uppercut.

"Dragon Shot!" Sync shouted as a blast of energy shot himself upward, sending the leader flying.

The leader came crashing to the ground in a heap, with a broken jaw and unconscious.

Arietta looked in disbelief at the defeated goons before over at Sync. His abilities were far more impressive than she would have guessed to have been able to take out all of those goons on his own while only using one arte through out the whole fight.

Sync glanced over at her before reaching out and grabbing her wrist, tugging her roughly out of the alleyway.

"H-Hey! What are you-ow!" Arietta cried as Sync ignored her while he continued dragging her out the alley.

Once out, Sync led them to a nearby park and stopped in front of the park's fountain.

He released Arietta's wrist and turned his back to her. Arietta rubbed her sore wrist before looking up at Sync with a confused expression.

"Why did you...?"

"I just happened to be passing by," Sync shrugged as Arietta's eyes narrowed.

"You really are a stalker!" Arietta said, causing Sync to whirl around in shock. "I had a feeling you've been following me this whole time!"

"I am not a stalker! And would you not say that so loud? You'll give people the wrong idea! Besides, if it weren't for me, you probably wouldn't be here right now!" Sync shot back.

The two glared at each other for a moment before Arietta ducked her head as her shoulders started trembling.

Before Sync could react, Arietta flung herself at him, knocking them both to the ground as she started sobbing into his chest.

Arietta didn't care anymore. So many things had happened the past few weeks that sent her on an emotional roller coaster. She couldn't take it anymore and had to let her emotions out.

Sync stiffly looked down at her, unsure of how to react. After an awkward moment of silence, he heaved a sigh and looked up at the sky, allowing the girl to cry in his presence.

After a while, Arietta ran out of tears and slowly detached herself from Sync, who had sat silently for her the whole time.

"Are you done?" Sync asked.

Arietta nodded as she proceeded to wipe the remaining tears from her eyes.

"Thank you..."

Sync raised his eyebrows in surprise before looking away stubbornly. "Why are you thanking me? I didn't do much."

Arietta shook her head. There was so much that he did to help her, even if he wasn't aware of it.

Because of him, she was able to get her mind off of Ion.

Because of him, she was saved from those goons in the alleyway.

Because of him, she was able to let out all of her bottled up emotions.

She gave him the first smile she's given in a while, causing him to flinch. "Thank you for saving me, Sync."

Sync was at a loss for words before letting out an annoyed grunt. He quickly stood up and turned his back to her again. "Hmph, whatever. It was only coincidence that I was around."

"Sure," Arietta giggled slightly as Sync self-consciously scratched the back of his head.

'Maybe he isn't that bad...' Arietta thought to herself as a soft blush appeared on her cheeks.

She still didn't understand him. It was as if those sunglasses of his prevented anyone from seeing him or what he thought. However, after this little ordeal, Arietta was finally able to understand his words from before. But why he bothered to tell her that in the first place was still unclear. Sync truly was a mystery.

"Be more careful on your way home," Sync said as he started down the path that led out of the park.

"Wait!" Arietta called out to him, causing the boy to pause. "Can I ask you a question?"

He turned his head slightly towards her as Arietta pointed at his sunglasses.

"Why do you wear those?" Arietta asked curiously.

Sync remained silent and Arietta wondered if it was right of her to even ask him that question.

He then grinned at her before adjusting his sunglasses on his face.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

**To be continued...**

* * *

How was it? Good? Bad? I'm sorry if they strayed to OOC, but I guess that's bound to happen in fics like this. In the flashback, Arietta is in 8th grade while Ion and Sync are in 7th grade while Anise is in 6th grade, just to clarify and all. I was originally planning for this to be a oneshot, but then again, I'm not good at doing oneshots and they just end up growing. If you look closely, this chapter actually ties pretty closely to the first stanza of the song. XD

If you were wondering, this universe is...kinda weird. It's set in a modern world where there are cities and whatnot, but magic and swords/weapons are still used. I wanted to try something different from my usual settings. I dunno, I thought just a normal school setting would be boring and I didn't really want to do a Tales time-period school setting either. So, tell me what you think. Strange? Doesn't make sense?

Name that cameo #1! Who is the person following Sync?

Hope you all enjoyed and please review!**  
**

*List of the different races*

- Half-elves: Half human and half elf with magical powers. From the world of Tales of Symphonia and Phantasia.

- Beastmen: Humanoid Animal-like creatures. Refers to the Gajuma race from Tales of Rebirth and Lycanthe/Leymon race in Tales of the Tempest.

- Krityans: Humanoid beings with long pointed ears. Originally from Tales of Vesperia.

- Amarcians: A humanoid alien race with white and multi-colored hair. Originally from Tales of Graces.

- Celestians: An advanced civilization usually identified through their dark skin and jewels on their foreheads. Originally from Tales of Eternia.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in the Tales series_**  
**

**Chapter 2: End of the World**

Arietta hurriedly walked down the hall after the lunch bell rang as if trying to catch up with someone. She paused mid-way in the hallway, looking around before spotting a bit of green within the crowd of students. A small smile appeared on her face before weaving her way through the crowd towards a certain someone.

Once she caught up to the person, she grabbed hold onto the corner of his uniform, causing him to pause and look over at her.

He raised his eyebrows in slight surprise before frowning at her.

"Who said this was okay?" Sync said rather coldly as Arietta looked down shyly.

"I…I feel a lot better with you around…" Arietta said blushing slightly.

Sync let out an exasperated sigh while running a hair through his spiky hair. "Ugh…Whatever."

* * *

Sync didn't understand why this little pink-haired girl would want to hang around him in the first place.

Ever since he had saved her from those goons, she had been following him everywhere he went on campus. It seemed as if she had grown accustomed to his presence and didn't seem fazed by his apparent glares. No matter what he did, she would follow him around all over campus. Whether he was just continuously walking around or lounging around in a tree, she would stick to his side like glue. What drove him insane was when she would try to make light conversations but he'd never comply.

She would always talk in such a small voice that he couldn't tell what she was saying and he always ended up ignoring her. Eventually, she stopped trying to talk to him and just sat in silence with him.

He irritably ran a hand through his hair, frustrated about how he had gotten himself into this mess.

It started as a way to entertain himself. The way that Arietta acted like a timid animal was highly amusing to him.

School was always boring and Sync needed something that could help him pass the time. So he made it a point to discreetly follow the girl around while also trying to avoid being detected by "four-eyes."

However, there were times where she would coincidentally show up at the bleachers he happened to be napping at.

He was then forced to listen to her whimper to herself so to not give away his position.

Listening to her constant whimpers heavily grated on Sync's nerves.

However, the thing that annoyed him most was how she would watch Ion from afar. She was so oblivious to her surroundings that if someone were to come up behind her, she wouldn't notice.

It was exasperating to watch, especially after learning that she was only useful in combat as a support mage. She wouldn't stand a chance in a solo battle.

Sync would run a hand irritably through his hair whenever he would catch himself thinking about this. Why did he care? It's not like it was his problem. However, he couldn't help but feel curious and continued his "observation."

After a while, Sync couldn't stand watching how pathetic Arietta acted anymore and decided to confront her about it. However, he was interrupted by a certain glasses-wearing upperclassman.

Deciding it was too late to bring up the topic, Sync tried to make a hasty getaway. Unfortunately, Arietta decided to follow him. Unable to stand her obliviousness, Sync tried to show her how vulnerable she was if she did not learn how to defend herself. Though it seemed as if Sync only succeeded in scaring her, not that he cared.

Sync was always considered a loner, even when he was in Kindergarten, as he never took the time or effort to know people and chose to be alone, away from everyone else. It came as a complete shock to everyone when the new girl suddenly started following Sync everywhere.

He didn't understand why he had followed her into town in the first place. Was it out of pure curiosity, or was it because he...

The green-haired boy shook his head furiously, trying desperately to shake away all unwanted thoughts. What happened, happened and now he had to live with the consequences.

At first, Sync found it extremely annoying how she'd always trail after him like a little duckling. This of course caused rumors and gossip to spread throughout school after noticing the two of them together for some time. Some suggested that they were a couple while others claimed that Sync must have gone soft.

Both rumors infuriated Sync so much that he'd threaten to beat the living daylights out of anyone who would dare tease him about it, which he complied to most of the time.

He would also beat up gossipers to try and intimidate Arietta, just like he did on that day when he threatened her. Despite his attempts, Arietta didn't seem to care, much to his exasperation.

Sync tried everything in his power to get Arietta to stop following him, everything but actually tell her to stop. He didn't understand why he couldn't bring himself to tell her. Maybe it was because he wasn't used to talking to others on a personal level. Though he found it strange that he would usually find himself talking down to others without any difficulty when they would try to talk to him.

It seemed slightly ironic how short he was of people while at the same time he viewed himself as inadequate.

In the past, he'd always tell others to go away in the harshest and rudest way possible if they got too close or wanted to be "friends" with him.

He didn't even really know what that word meant and didn't plan on finding out, considering he's been alone for nearly his whole life. This further frustrated him, as he still could not understand why he is allowing Arietta to follow him without a word.

'Doesn't she like Ion?' Sync thought bitterly before glancing over at Arietta as the two of them sat in silence on the field.

Yet another reason why he couldn't fathom why this pink-haired girl would want to follow him around. She knew from the first time she met him and Ion that they didn't necessarily get along too well.

Sync grunted in frustration, catching Arietta's attention.

"Did you say something?"

"…No." Sync said before rolling onto his side, making it so that his back was facing her causing Arietta to look down at the ground with slight disappointment.

* * *

As Sync walked home from school one day, thankful that Arietta had the sense not to follow him home. A part of him wished he'd just mind his own business and let Arietta be taken by those thugs. But then again, his conscious would probably bite him for it.

Of course, when did he ever listen to his conscious?

He walked on a low stone gate with expert balance just a few feet from the ground with his hands stuffed deeply in his pockets.

Sync let out a groan while running a hand through his spiky, green hair in frustration. He didn't know what to think of her presence. All she did was follow him around. It was annoying to say the least, but also kind of…comforting?

"GAH! What the hell is wrong with me!" Sync cried while furiously running his hands through his hair, trying desperately to push these unsettling thoughts out of his head.

"So, you've been keeping Arietta company lately?"

A mad-mark immediately popped up on the side of Sync's head, knowing exactly who the voice belonged to all too well.

He turned to glare at the green-haired boy who had come up behind him on the sidewalk.

Ion came up beside him along the wall he was walking on, looking up at him with his usual smile, seemingly ignoring his apparent glare.

"I think it's very nice of you to let her be around you," Ion said. "I think the two of you would be a good influence on each other."

Sync narrowed his eyes from under his sunglasses before growling, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing," Ion said as he began walking away.

He paused however and glanced back over at Sync before adding, "Oh yeah. I suggest you stop skipping out on your extra lessons or your unit leader is going to get more frustrated."

Sync let out a grunt. "Peh, like I care about what that guy thinks. Besides, it's not even a real unit."*

Ion let out a sigh before continuing on his way, leaving Sync to wallow in his thoughts.

Once Ion was out of sight, Sync hopped down off the wall and stared hard at the ground.

So many things were being dumped on him that he didn't know how to handle it all.

A sharp pain came shot through his head, causing the boy to wince. He quickly brought a hand up to his head to try and soothe the pain. He'd been getting a lot of small headaches recently and he didn't understand why. The stress must be starting to get to him.

Sync cursed under his breath before continuing on his way.

* * *

After a rather explosive argument with his "unit" leader, Sync found himself in a much fouler mood than usual. His stress level was constantly rising and the headaches came more frequently, causing him to be much more irritable than he already is. He would often snap even if someone said a word to him, even at Arietta. This mood change worried Arietta and would ask what happened. However, this would cause another explosive response from the spiky-haired boy, nearly sending the girl to tears.

But it wasn't enough to keep her away as she was by his side the next day.

Eventually, Sync gave up and let the pink-haired loli do what she wanted despite his annoyance.

* * *

Arietta flinched when a loud rumbling sound interrupted the silence. She glanced over at Sync who was frowning before putting a hand on his stomach. He was lying down on his back in the cool grass of the field with Arietta sitting next to him.

"Are you hungry?" Arietta asked as Sync grunted.

"It doesn't matter. I never eat lunch anyways," Sync said turning onto his side.

"Do your parents pack you one?" Arietta asked curiously.

Sync furrowed his brow as if recalling something unlikable, though his back was turned to Arietta so she couldn't tell.

"Who do you think I am? Do you really think I'd carry around a packed lunch mommy made for me?" Sync said sarcastically while closing his eyes. "That's just stupid. Who does that anymore?"

He heard her shuffling around as he opened one eye curiously, wondering what she was doing behind him.

Letting curiosity get the better of him, he slowly lifted himself off the ground and sat up. He turned to look at her but before he could say anything, Arietta suddenly pushed something into his mouth with her fork.

"W-What the hell?" Sync said in bewilderment.

"My mom always packs me a lunch. I don't always finish it all so we can share…if you want that is..." Arietta said shyly while looking down at the boxed lunch sitting in her lap.

Sync gaped at her for a moment before he proceeded to chew what Arietta had placed in his mouth. After the first bite, a delightful taste filled his mouth, much to his surprise. Arietta watched him anxiously as he blinked a couple of times.

After he swallowed, Arietta asked, "Well?"

It was good, but Sync debated whether he should tell her or not. However, seeing Arietta staring at him, waiting for his response, unnerved him.

"Um...yeah...it was good," Sync reluctantly muttered as he turned his head to the side in embarrassment.

The pink-haired girl's eyes widened happily as a small smile spread across her face. Sync glanced over at her in slight surprise. Since she first transferred, Arietta hadn't smiled much ever since she and Anise had built up a rivalry over Ion. Being able to make her smile again made Sync feel as if he was special, genuine to her.

He lightly shook his head, clearing his mind of such thoughts before stubbornly looking away again, much to Arietta's confusion.

"Would you like some more? You're probably still hungry," Arietta offered.

"I'm fine!" Sync said a bit louder than he intended as he laid back down on the grass while turning his back to her.

He didn't understand any of this. Why would Arietta want to hang around him in the first place? No one ever approached him since he had the reputation of beating up anyone into a bloody heap if they provoked him some way or another.

'Unless...' Sync thought before pushing the thought away as he settled back into his relaxation.

There was no way she would know. Arietta wasn't exactly the brightest nor the most observant person Sync has met. He figured something would have to be put directly in front of her to understand something. Even with all of his attempts to get her to stop following him, Arietta didn't seem to get the message.

He let out an exasperated sigh before the bell rang for lunch to end.

Arietta immediately started to pack up while Sync stayed where he was. So many things were swirling in his head that he didn't feel like having teachers shove useless crap down his throat.

"Aren't you going to class?" Arietta asked.

"I don't feel like it," Sync replied, already imagining how his "unit leader" would scold him later for it.

"Oh, okay...then I'll see you tomorrow then?" Arietta said as Sync let out an annoyed grunt.

He could have sworn that he was cursed. Everything unfortunate always happened to him. It didn't matter who else was left in the world, as long as he was alive, misfortune would always swing around and come to him. He cursed his existence because of it most of the time.

Did Arietta think he was some kind of bodyguard or something? If so, he wondered what would happen if he disappeared for a little bit.

His eyes felt heavy as the mid-afternoon sun hung brightly overhead, warming his body comfortably. He felt himself drifting off to sleep, leaving his thoughts in the back of his mind.

As his mind wandered in his sleep, Sync found himself wandering a long, dark hallway with no visible light. He allowed his other senses to guide him as he managed to walk through the darkness without bumping into anything so far.

_"You're wasting your time."_

Sync stopped abruptly as his eyes widened in horror. He whirled around, trying to see whoever was there. Unfortunately, the darkness prevented him from seeing anything or anyone.

_"You'll always be a second-rate."  
__  
_Fear seized the green-haired boy's expression as he made a desperate attempt to flee. But no matter how fast or far he ran, the voices only grew louder.

_"You're a waste of my time."_

_"You can't possibly hope to succeed."  
_

_"**Failure**."  
_

Sync tried to block out the voices booming all around him, but every word that was spoken dealt a heavy blow to his being.

**_"Failure."_**

"Shut up!" Sync cried.

_**"FAILURE."**_

"SHUT UP!"

The darkness was suffocating and Sync couldn't bear to be trapped in it any longer. He felt his body grow heavier with each step, making it more difficult to keep running.

Suddenly, a beam of light shone at the end of the hall, causing something similar to excitement to bubble up within Sync. Feeling a new sense of strength, Sync raced towards the light, wanting to escape the infernal darkness and voices.

As he got closer, his eyes widened in anticipation as he reached out to take hold of the light.

But before he could reach it, the light suddenly disappeared as if a door had closed, leaving Sync in darkness once more.

The floor below him suddenly disappeared, sending him falling deeper into the darkness.

"Someone..." Sync gasped as his body started to go numb.

All of his senses became blurred as he felt himself drowning in the abyss.

**_"You'll always be a failure, remember_**_** that."**_

There was no hope. He had fallen too deep into the darkness that there was just no hope of escape. Once you fell, you would continue to fall until you hit rock bottom.

Sync felt that he was always so close to that point, but was too scared to admit it. For the past twelve years, he was falling deeper and deeper into his own abyss. It was futile to fight it, seeing as there was absolutely nothing that would help him.

_"Sync!"_

Sync wearily opened his eyes and was surprised to see a small, but bright ball of light in front of him.

'That voice...who's is it...?' Sync thought to himself sluggishly.

_"Thank you."_

With his eyes still half-lidded, he unconsciously reached out towards the light, wanting to bring it closer to him, to feel its warmth and comfort.

Before he could grab it, he felt someone gently kick his side, probing him back to consciousness.

Both the light and darkness had disappeared in an instant, leaving Sync slightly disoriented.

"Huh…?" Sync groaned as he found himself back on the school field where he had fallen asleep.

He lay still sprawled out on the grass, still not completely awake, wondering what that dream was about. Those dreams were not unfamiliar to him, but he found the part where a different voice spoke to him near the end. Who's voice was it? It sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it.

Blinking to wake himself up, Sync lazily rolled over to see Ion looking down at him with a serious yet frustrated expression.

The green-haired boy was standing straight as a board with his hands curled up into fists beside him, his bright, green eyes burning with frustration and annoyance.

A small growl escaped Sync's throat before he sat up and took off his sunglasses for a moment to rub the remaining bit of sleep from his eyes.

"What do you want now?"

Ion let out a frustrated sigh. "Look, I've tried to be nice, but you insist on breaking the rules. I'm going to have to report you for skipping class for the umpteenth time."

Sync smirked as he settled his sunglasses back over his face before putting his hand under his chin thoughtfully.

"Oh, that was you being nice, I couldn't tell," Sync said sarcastically as Ion narrowed his eyes.

"I know you're completely capable of doing well in your classes, so why are you always ditching and not even bothering to do the work?" Ion said, wanting to know the reasons behind Sync's actions.

Sync stood up and turned his back on him while stretching out the sleep from his limbs.

"I don't answer to you," Sync said as he started walking away.

"Would you hold on for a moment, Sync? Look-" Ion said chasing after him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Sync immediately swatted his hand away and whirled around to face the green-haired boy.

"No, you look!" Sync shot back, hostility ringing in his tone.

Ion looked at him in surprise as he took a few steps back, giving the hot-headed boy some space.

"I'm sorry I can't live up to your high expectations, Mr. Perfect. But unlike you, I have enough problems to worry about without you butting into my life!"

The outburst caused Ion to widen his eyes in shock as Sync's face contorted with rage.

"You were the perfect child, that's all they said about you! Because of you, I was stuck in the position of a second-rate, a failure! While you were living up your role as the dream child, I was stuck getting the shorter end of the stick. _They _didn't even care about me, all they thought about was their little Ion! That's why they had no problem sending me out into the streets after I couldn't live up to their expectations!" Sync shouted while violently throwing his arms to the side.

Ion winced before looking away, guilt evident in his expression. He didn't know that's how Sync felt all this time. He couldn't respond since everything Sync said was true. There was nothing he could say without it sounding like he was pinning blame.

"No matter what I did, everyone would always look to you! I was always the nobody! You have absolutely no idea how it is to always live in your shadow!" Sync growled as he came forward and roughly seized Ion by the collar, yanking him to eye-level.

"This is all your fault! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have to be stuck with this pathetic life! You're the reason I'm a failure, you're the reason why I'll never be accepted!" Sync shouted angrily as Ion just gazed at him with a blank expression.

Letting anger and rage take control, Sync wound up his fist to strike down the one who had caused him so much pain for the past twelve years. He didn't know how long he has wanted to do this and he wasn't about to let him get away with it any longer.

"Now you-"**

"STOP IT!"

Sync released his grip on Ion as he felt someone tackle him, sending the two of them crashing to the ground, causing his sunglasses to fall off his face and onto the ground with a sharp clack.

The spiky-haired boy slowly opened his eyes to see familiar pink eyes staring down at him in shock and disbelief as her small hands covered her mouth in shock.

At first, Sync didn't understand why she was looking at him in such a way. However, when he reached up to touch his face, his eyes immediately widened in horror, realizing he wasn't wearing his sunglasses. He looked over to see his sunglasses sitting off to the side, one of the lens slightly cracked.

"W-Why…?"

Sync turned his gaze back onto Arietta, green clashing with pink.

"Why…why does your face…look like Ion's…?" Arietta asked slowly.

With those few words, Sync's whole world crumbled.

**To be continued...**

* * *

Not sure how I feel about this chapter, but I guess it comes as a lack of motivation. This is relatively shorter than the first chapter, but I'm not exactly sure what else there was to put in here. If you guys have any suggestions on how I can make it better, don't be afraid to tell me.

Notes:

*All students of the academy are eventually placed in a four man unit. However, Sync is placed in a practice unit made of three people due to being unable to work with others well.

**Remind you of anything? :3


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of the Abyss or their characters, though I wish Sync was mine..._

**Chapter 3: The Voice that Pulls me Back  
**

Sync gritted his teeth angrily before shoving Arietta off of him.

Arietta let out a squeak of pain as she landed hard on her back. Ion rushed to her side and helped her back up to her feet.

"Arietta, are you all right?" Ion asked as Arietta nodded up to him before focusing her gaze back on Sync.

Ion looked over at the spiky-haired boy, seeing his eyes tremble with a mix of anger and bewilderment. Sync brought a hand up to cover his face as he slowly backed away from them.

Before Ion could say a word, Sync whirled around and sprinted off the field, continuing to cover his features that were very much like Ion's with his hand.

"Sync, wait!" Ion called, but was ignored as he watched Sync jump over the fence separating the field from the public sidewalk before disappearing into the distance.

Ion glanced down at Arietta, who was still in a state of shock. He let out a sigh before kneeling in front of her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Arietta looked up at him in shock as Ion gave her a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. But...the truth is..."

* * *

'…Twins?' Arietta repeated in her head as she walked aimlessly around campus.

The news came as a complete shock to her, having suspected nothing about the two being related.

Ion and Sync had different last names, but she realized that there are ways to change your last name.

**_"We have the same parents and you can't really ignore the fact that we have the same face. It's complicated, but the fact that we're twins is the reason why he wears those sunglasses. He wants absolutely nothing to do with me."_**

She knew that Sync and Ion had a very tense air between them , but she would never have guessed that their relationship would be this dysfunctional.

She remembered the look of guilt and sadness on Ion's face as he looked at her after telling her his relationship with Sync.

**_"He hates me. Actually, more so because of the attention our parents gave me."_**

**_"The reason he got so angry is because he thinks everyone compares him to me. Though he won't admit it, I know that he wants to be recognized as his own person. But our parents had always pushed Sync to live up to their high standards. Always saying things like, 'why can't you be more like your brother?'. They were basically saying he was a second-rate or something…a failure." Ion had said the last word slowly, echoing Sync's words._**

Ion seemed to be blaming himself for Sync's misfortune, though it seemed to Arietta that it was mostly their parents fault.

It just didn't seem fair, but who was Arietta, an outsider, to give her opinion on their family's affairs.

Besides her, Anise was the only one who knew of their relation, though Anise didn't seem to care whether or not they were related. However, Sync didn't seem to pay her any special mind about it. It was most likely due to Anise hanging out with Ion that Sync never acknowledged her thoughts on the matter.

Arietta soon found herself consumed by guilt, realizing how hurt Sync must have been when she compared his looks to Ion. She would have to make sure to apologize the next time she sees him.

* * *

Arietta sat on the cold, metal bleachers overlooking the academy's field with a partially eaten lunch in her lap.

It had been almost a week since the incident and Sync had been skipping out on all of his classes, not even bothering to come to school.

Ion commented on how Sync had a tendency to disappear whenever something unfavorable happens. He would often disappear whenever he got into extensive arguments with his unit leader.

Arietta recalled how she didn't see him for a few days after their first little confrontation. It was obvious that he was trying to avoid her.

The thought saddened her, although she couldn't understand why. She wasn't even entirely certain why she follows Sync around so much. Initially, it was because she felt safe around him, like he was some sort of bodyguard. However, as time went on, she started wondering if that is the only reason.

Arietta looked down at the ground with a guilty frown. Her reasons for following him were selfish and even though she knew that Sync was annoyed by her actions, she ignored it and did what she wanted.

She had to admit that Sync definitely wasn't much company, but being with him made her far less lonely. Now, with him gone, Arietta found herself more alone than she was at the beginning of the school year.

However, even though she stuck with him for a few weeks, she still knew nothing about him. It was as if she was only using him, which was probably true and it made her feel even worse about the situation. Yet another thing to add to her checklist of apologies.

She let out a sigh before the bell rung for lunch to end. Packing up, she wondered if Sync would be okay and if he would return.

* * *

Ion sat down on a nearby bench in the school yard before letting out a heavy sigh.

He had always known that Sync was suffering, but remained indifferent and cared more about his own success than to help his own brother. Maybe it was even because he liked getting the most attention from their parents.

Ion cringed at the though, realizing how selfish and prideful it sounded. But he couldn't deny the fact that it was true. It was natural for a child to want their parents' attention and praise above all else, even their own sibling.

Only recently had he tried to mend the relationship between him and Sync, but all his efforts were brushed off as if they were nothing. He realized that it was too late to fix what was broken. Twelve years too late. Sync hated him because of everything that happened and there was nothing he could do to fill in the giant abyss between them.

Ever since Sync gave up keeping his grades upon entering middle school, he was subsequently kicked out of the house for being a "failure." Ion was actually the one who had stopped his parents from disowning his older brother. Though he could not get them to reconsider kicking him out of the house, he was able to at least have them get Sync a small apartment that they agreed to pay for.

Ion had not told Sync of this favor as it would not have made a difference and would possibly cause Sync to think he was sucking up to him out of pity.

Sync had gone through twelve difficult years, with no one to depend on other than himself.

However, up until recently, Ion started to notice small changes in Sync's life. It all started when Arietta transferred. He noticed that Sync seemed to be curious about her and would follow her around. But what mostly surprised him was when he allowed Arietta to follow him around despite his cold nature.

It had given Ion a glimpse of hope and thought that with Arietta's help, Sync would slowly be released by the ghosts of his past. Scars would surely remain, but pain is only temporary. Ion was sure that Arietta would be able to help soothe his pain even if it were only a little.

There was little he could do at this point and could only pray that Arietta would be able to reach out to Sync, to be able to show him the benefits of friendship and companionship.

He leaned back, turning his gaze up to the sky. 'I hope everything turns out all right.'

* * *

On her way home, Arietta decided to wander around town for a little bit, making sure to avoid certain areas.

No matter what she did, her mind would always wander to the spiky-haired boy. She just couldn't figure him out at all. One moment he would be acting like a jerk, the next, like he actually cared.

A sudden sound rang through her ears, snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked around, wondering where the source of the noise came from. It was faint, but Arietta could just barely make out the sound of muffled music.

Letting curiosity get the better of her, Arietta tried to pinpoint the source.

While she was distracted, she accidentally bumped into someone.

"Hey, watch where you're going," the person grumbled while turning around to face her.

Arietta recognized the black-haired boy from the academy in the magic knight class, a year senior to her. He was usually by himself in some secluded corner reading with his headphones on at all times. Despite his cold-exterior, he is actually quite popular with the ladies, though Arietta didn't really understand why.*

Her gaze fell on his headphones and wondered if the music she heard was coming from them.

"I-I'm sorry..." Arietta squeaked nervously, while ducking her head.

"Hmph," the boy scoffed coldly before readjusting his headphones and walked off with his hands in his pockets.

Once he was gone, she heard the music again and quickly headed towards where she thought it was coming from.

Arietta cautiously continued following the sound of what she realized was a violin, wondering who was playing until she eventually reached a gated off, abandoned mansion.

The mansion looked to have been uninhabited for years as the windows were tinted black from the dirt and the front yard looked disastrous with leaves strewn across the lawn. There was a cracked fountain off to the side and several statues lining the pathway to the doorway.

She could hear the music coming from somewhere in this area and upon closer inspection saw that the gate was open slightly.

A part of her told her to ignore it and just go home as she might get ambushed again. On the other hand, she desperately wanted to know who was playing such beautiful music.

Allowing curiosity to get the better of her, Arietta cautiously walked through the gate and onto the abandoned property.

She looked up to the abandoned structure, its dark and looming figure sending a chill up her spine.

Before the pink-haired girl made up her mind about leaving, she heard the unknown musician hit a sharp cord.

Hesitantly, she brought herself to keep going and found as she headed towards the back of the mansion, the music grew louder.

Once she made it around back, the music of the violin filled Arietta's ears, hearing the melodic cords as clearly as if she was standing right next to the instrument.

She inhaled slightly at the sight of a small, beautiful garden. The grass was as green as if it had just grown and there were small bushes of beautiful flowers lined along the edges of the garden.

The garden looked as if was set apart from the rickety, old mansion. Everything about it was so beautiful, as if someone took tender care of it.

The music of the violin seemed to give the garden such a calming atmosphere, it was almost magical. It was both gentle and rough at some points, surprising Arietta a little as she never would have thought of combining those things together.

Her attention turned to a small gazebo in the middle of the luscious garden, which was surrounded by a small pond.

She realized someone was playing the violin on top of the gazebo, the sun shining down on them like a beacon.

The person had their back to her so they weren't aware of her presence. As Arietta neared them, she saw that the person was very lithe and seemed to have an athletic body. The person wore a white hooded short-sleeved jacket and a black shirt underneath. They also wore black pants that were slightly baggy at the ends with light green lining. She could also make out the black wristbands with a green line through the middle on his wrists.

As she got even closer, Arietta could also make out that the person had spiky green hair…

Wait…

* * *

Anger and rage whirled through Sync's head like an uncontrollable tornado. Sync was never good at controlling his temper, especially around Ion. He was so caught up in his emotions he didn't realize Arietta was there before it was too late. Not only had she found out that he was related to Ion, but that they had the same face.

If other peoples were to see his face, they would immediately compare him to Ion.

He feared rejection for not being "perfect" like his brother, just like his parents had. He was trash, just a piece of mass that took up space, that's all he was.

His parents had forced him to play the violin when he was young and since then had stuck with him. He had practiced long and hard so that he could possibly win their affection.

But no matter how hard he tried; no matter how much effort he put into it, he would always be overlooked for Ion.

He never played in front of others and would only do so in the comfort of his own presence, being self-conscious of how he played.

Even though his parents didn't care whether or not he continued playing, Sync decided to continue. It was the only thing that Sync actually enjoyed doing besides practicing his martial artes. Whenever he needed to vent his frustrations or if he just needed to be away from everything, he would always find refuge in this abandoned garden, playing to his heart's content without anyone bothering him.

Whenever he played, he found himself surprisingly calmer. He was always soothed by the sound of his violin, though he himself would never admit to it. A sharp note was added whenever he felt a tinge of frustration that he needed to let out, allowing his anger and frustrations flow out through his music.

He had found this garden by accident and was surprised to find it in such great shape. Later, he found out that an elderly man came by everyday in the morning to take care of the garden. Sync didn't understand why the man wasted his time doing so as it was abandoned but never questioned it.

While he played and focused solely on the sound of his violin, he heard something shuffle behind him. He shrugged it off, thinking that it was just his imagination.

However, a sudden gasp snapped him out of his trance and immediately stopped playing and whirled around to see _her._

* * *

Arietta gasped a little louder than she intended, catching Sync's attention.

He wasn't wearing his sunglasses, causing Arietta to see every visible feature that mirrored Ion's.

Arietta found herself consumed with guilt as she looked down at the ground.

Sync's eyes widened briefly before anger flashed over his eyes, causing them to darken.

"Great, just when I thought I could get some peace and quiet," Sync grumbled as he bent down and started packing his violin away.

"W-Why did you stop? It was really good," Arietta said rather awkwardly.

Sync slammed the case shut with a sharp snap and without a word, hopped down from the top of the gazebo and down onto the ground.

He walked towards the pink-haired girl, glaring down at her with a such a dark gaze, causing Arietta to flinch.

Sync let out grunt of annoyance before walking past her with his violin case slung over his shoulder.

Arietta tried to call out to to him, but she couldn't squeeze out the right words. She clutched her chest, wanting to apologize but could not bring herself to call him back.

Why did she even want to apologize? Was it so she could feel better about herself so she didn't have to feel guilty anymore? Would her apology even affect him? Would she be apologizing out of pity? Would he even want that?

What was Sync to her?

Arietta paused. What _was _Sync to her? She couldn't exactly call him a friend nor a companion. The best way to describe their relationship was loose acquaintances at best.

The realization stung, but Arietta knew it was the truth. She took his presence for granted, never fully appreciating him for who he was.

However, this realization brought on a want to get to know him better, to better understand him. Arietta hoped it wasn't too late to start over.

"S-Sync, wait! Please!" Arietta cried, finally built enough courage to call out to him.

Seeing that he wasn't stopping, Arietta called out again.

"Sync, I'm sorry!"

Sync took one step and paused before turning slightly over to her. He wasn't looking at her, but waited patiently to hear what she had to say.

Fear started to squeeze its way in between Arietta and her courage, causing her nerve to slip.

"I...I just wanted to apologize for what happened a week ago..." Arietta said as her voice shrunk with each word. "Ion told me about your parents..."

Sync remained silent, causing an uncomfortable silence to pass between them.

Arietta's hands trembled as she felt her anxiety levels rise. Why wasn't he saying anything?

Finally, breaking the silence, Sync dryly chuckled, "Yeah? Well, if that's all you have to say, it was a waste of time."

Arietta's eyes widened in shock as Sync turned around with bitter grin on his face.

"Who are you to go poking your nose into my business? Does it look like I'm asking for your pathetic sympathy? What do you take me for, a fool?"

Sync's words stung, landing a hard blow to Arietta's heart.

"I don't need anyone's pity, nor do I even want it," Sync growled. "Do you know what it's like to be thrown away? To be left with nothing but yourself to depend on? Of course you don't, no one does! There is absolutely no one who can understand where I stand or how I feel! Day after day, I have to suffer this accursed fate of striving for nothing, being nothing! Everything is pointless!"

There were so many emotions and pain that Arietta could not understand for she could not relate to his experiences. When she was orphaned at a young age, her adoptive parents took her in. She couldn't imagine how it must have felt like to have been abandoned by his own parents.

"...Do you really feel nothing...?" Arietta asked hesitantly.

The green-haired boy scoffed, "I've been alone for all of my life, I feel absolutely nothing in my heart."

"But..."

Sync clicked his tongue in annoyance before turning his back on the pink-haired girl. "Why am I even telling you this? This has just been a waste of time."

"I..." Arietta stammered as she bowed her head. "...I'm sorry that I..."

Seeing that Sync was not stopping, Arietta drew in a breath, summoning up every ounce of courage she had.

"I'm sorry I compared you to Ion!" Arietta cried as tears formed at the corners of her eyes, threatening to start streaming down her face.

Sync's eyes snapped wide open, stopping dead in his tracks. He glanced over at the pink-haired girl, who was clutching the edges of her skirt as her body trembled with emotion.

"What...?"

"Not only that, but...I'm sorry I used you," Arietta said as a single tear slid down her cheek. "...I was being selfish...and I...I was only using you so that I could feel safe...I never once thought about how you felt..."

"I was so lonely when I first transferred here...there was no one that I could talk to...But then, you came along...and I found myself not feeling lonely anymore,"

"You were always there...but I took you for granted...It wasn't right. I never acknowledged who you really were so...it was just as bad as comparing you to Ion. You're not Ion...you're Sync and only Sync. "

* * *

A small breeze swept past them as they stood in silence, neither one knowing what to say next.

Sync slowly clenched and unclenched his fists, unsure of how to respond. No one had ever apologized to him before, not for those things.

_"You're not Ion...you're Sync and only Sync."_

The green-haired boy let out a frustrated sigh before running his hand through his hair.

"Sheesh, what is this?" Sync scoffed as his faced flushed slightly. "Out of everything you could have said, you had to go and say that."

Arietta widened her eyes in surprise before lowering her gaze. "I-I'm sorry..."

A mad-mark appeared on Sync's cheek before he sticking a pinky in his ear. "And stop apologizing! Man, you're annoying."

"S-Sorry..."

Sync facepalmed before looking at the girl with an exasperated expression.

Upon seeing his expression, Arietta couldn't help but let out a few giggles despite trying to hide it by covering her mouth with her hand.

"What the hell are you laughing at?" Sync shouted, his hair turning more spikier than usual in his flustered state.

Unable to contain herself, Arietta lost herself in a fit of giggles causing Sync to stare at her in astonishment.

He didn't understand it. He felt so out of place right now, he couldn't even describe it. But in the midst of it, he couldn't help but feel a small warmth in his chest as he watched her laugh. There was just something about her smile that he just couldn't bring himself to detest.

Letting out a sigh, Sync rubbed the back his head. "You're such a nuisance."

Arietta stood watching him in surprise as he turned around and walked off towards the exit.

"Later," Sync called as he lifted a hand in a farewell manor.

As he left, a smile crept onto Arietta's face as she felt herself relax as relief swept through her.

"See you later," Arietta said quietly, uncertain whether or not Sync heard her or not.

However, since Sync had his back to her, she failed to notice the faintest of smiles on his face.

**To be continued...**

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, though I'm not sure how well this turned out myself. Leave so feedback please, I would really like to know what you guys think about this so far, whether or not it's a good story or not or things are flowing well. So speak up and let me hear what you have to say and how I can make this better. Please Review! :D

Who's that cameo #2! Who is that moody guy? He is quite popular in Japan


	4. Chapter 4

FINALLY! I had such trouble writing this. I don't know why, I just had a huge writer's block for this chapter...as well as getting distracted whenever I started writing. ^_^; This is unedited, so I'll probably go back and fix the errors. Don't be shy to tell me where those errors are because it's easy for me to skip over them on accident. Well, hope you enjoy it for those who have been reading. Enjoy! :)

**IMPORTANT NOTE: **For those who have been following this fic since I first posted it, I would recommend going back to read the whole fic over again because I made some MAJOR changes. Just a heads up.

**Reminder: This is still a flashback, just to remind everyone of that.**

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters whatsoever**  
**_

**Chapter 4: Looking for the Answer  
**

"Hey! Hey! Rita! Riiiiiiitaaaaaa!" a red-headed boy with equally red eyes said as he ran up to a girl with short brown hair and a red hair band.

"What?" Rita replied, glancing up with disinterest from the book she was reading with annoyance evident in her tone.

"Did you see Sync?" Mao asked while excitedly waving his arms.

Rita narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, so? What about him?"

"He's not wearing his sunglasses! This is the first time he's ever taken them off! Everyone always wondered what he looked like without them!" Mao exclaimed as Rita just rolled her eyes.

"But the most shocking part about it is that he looks like Ion!"

Rita scoffed before returning to her reading. "So? What does that have to do with anything?"

Mao lifted a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "I wonder if they're related…"

The brown-haired girl let out an annoyed sigh before snapping her book closed and standing up. "It's not any of my business."

With that, the brown-haired girl walked away, leaving behind a confused Mao.

* * *

Everywhere Sync went, he could feel everyone's stares fall on him. He knew this would happen if he ever came to school without his sunglasses.

Whenever he would feel someone staring at him, he would glare over at them, causing them to immediately look away and continue chatting nervously with each other.

However, as soon as he walked away they would look over and start talking about him again.

A mad-mark appeared over Sync's head as the unwanted attention was starting to aggravate him.

* * *

The door to the student council room abruptly opened, only to have it slam rather loudly afterwards.

Ion and everyone else in the room look over to see a rather frustrated Sync standing in the middle of the room.

"Sync?" Ion said in slight disbelief. "This is a surprise. You usually steer clear of me at school."

The rest of the middle school student body started whispering amongst each other after noticing some distinct similarities between Sync and Ion. Sync shot them a warning glare, causing them to jump before continuing their work.

The spiky-haired boy ran a hand through his hair in annoyance before turning his glare back on Ion.

"This is all your fault! Everywhere I go, everyone starts talking about how we look alike. I can't take it anymore!" Sync shouted.

"Excuse me, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Sync winced upon hearing the voice before glancing over to see a boy with short blue hair and glasses walk over to the two of them. As he made his way towards them, Sync narrowed his eyes, casting a dark glare over at the young man though he didn't seem at all affected.

"We are in the middle of important business and you're disrupting-" the blue-haired male started while pushing his glasses higher up onto the bridge of his nose before a mad-mark appeared over Sync's head.

"Stay out of this, four-eyes! This is none of your damn business!" Sync shouted while pointing accusingly at the older boy. "This is between me and him, no one else!"

The boy visibly flinched before regaining his composure while gritting his teeth in frustration.

"You would dare say that to-"

"Enough you two. You can settle this afterwards." Ion said in a commanding voice while standing to gain their attention.

Sync and the older boy paused momentarily before giving the other one final glare.

"Hah, like that's ever going to happen." Sync scoffed before the older boy grunted in annoyance and walked back to his post.

Ion let out a weary sigh before he sat back down and rested his chin against his knuckles. "Anyways, what exactly do you want me to do about this little situation of yours? Erase everyone's memories?"

Sync gritted his teeth in great irritation before looking away. As much as he wanted to pin the entire blame on Ion, he just couldn't considering it was mostly his fault anyways. He let his guard down, allowing his sunglasses to be knocked off his face so easily. There was also the fact that he came to school without thinking about any way to conceal his identity.

When he had tried to fix his sunglasses, he had accidentally poked the broken lens out. He attempted to put it back in but ended up shattering it in the process. Sync had to use nearly all of his willpower to keep himself from throwing the remaining pieces of his sunglasses out the window.

"Look, there's nothing we can do about it now. People were bound to find out eventually. You just have to accept it." Ion said calmly as he watched his brother brim with rage.

Sync rolled his fists into tight balls as they trembled slightly at his side.

Although he absolutely loathed the idea of accepting Ion's words, deep down, he knew he was right.

Forcing himself to swallow his pride, Sync stiffly stomped out of the room, slamming the door loudly behind him. The force rattled the stack of papers on Ion's desk and caused a couple books to fall of the shelf of a bookcase.

Ion winced slightly before letting out an exasperated sigh at his brother's behavior as he rubbed his temples.

"Are the two of you going to be all right? It's not good for siblings to stay mad at each other," a girl with long blond hair and crystal, blue eyes asked in concern.

Ion gave her a weary smile before running a hand through his neatly brushed hair causing everyone in the room to glance at each other uneasily.

* * *

With everyone's attention focused on him, Sync couldn't find any opportunities to disappear or go off somewhere alone. The boy internally groaned as his mouth twitched in annoyance.

He could hardly concentrate on the lectures due to everyone's staring holes into him. Even some of the teachers would stare at him in surprise, astonished how they never knew.

Sync felt like as if the day had gone on forever and had bolted out of the door once the bell rang for class to end. It had been a living nightmare as he found himself the talk of the academy.

Being left alone was normal for Sync, as if he was invisible to everyone around him. But with everyone's gazes falling on him twenty-four seven made him feel quite uncomfortable.

He trudged down the path into town, eventually leading him to the abandoned mansion he likes to hide out at.

Ever since he was kicked out of his parents' house, he had been living in a run down-old apartment complex. It was better than living on the streets, but Sync hated staying there. He never considered that rat-infested place as his home and only went there to sleep and sometimes cook.

His parents paid for his rent and gave him some money for food, but hardly enough to for a substantial meal. Most days he would save the money his parents sent to him, making him have to skip a couple meals a day. There were times where he felt faint after training and nearly passed out from using too much energy. Some of the teachers would question him on his health, but were always ignored. Sync didn't need anyone worrying over him as he felt he was doing fine on his own.

He often bought fruits and vegetables, since they were the cheapest foods to buy. When he saved enough, he would treat himself and buy bread or pasta since meat was always rather pricey. If he could get a job he would, but he was still too young to apply for a regular paid job much to his frustration.

Though he was somehow allowed to live on his own, he can't find a job due to his age. Sync found the information rather ironic but decided to let it go.

"Ugh…" Sync groaned as he rubbed his temples.

His stress level had been at its peak since his little dispute with Ion earlier, giving him a massive headache by the end of the day.

Sync was surprised how long he was able to suppress his anger and frustration. Usually he'd get into a fight or end up breaking something by now.

However, he decided to keep it bottled up so he wouldn't get into any more trouble from skipping an entire week of school without a word. But the stress took its toll and resulted in a great throbbing in his head. It wasn't a migraine, but he could tell that one was on the way.

Sync groaned once more in annoyance and pain before resting his forehead against a nearby lamppost, ignoring the questionable stares of several people who happened to walk by.

The pain was starting to become unbearable as Sync struggled to remain conscious. Everything around him started to turn blurry and his breathing became uneven. He swore under his breath as he broke out into cold sweat.

"Sync…?"

Sync slowly opened his eyes and glanced over to see Arietta looking at him with a concerned expression.

It had been three days since they last saw each other at his secret hideaway. Initially he though it would be a little awkward to see her after a rather dramatic exchange of emotions. However, his head hurt way too much for him to really care.

"Are you okay?" Arietta asked timidly, taking a couple steps closer to him.

Sync let out weary sigh before moving his head away from the post and rubbing his temples.

"I just have a headache, that's all. Nothing you need to worry about," Sync groaned as he motioned for her to leave him alone.

However, Arietta didn't understand the notion and continued towards him. She hesitantly reached up and gently placed a hand over Sync's forehead.

The green-haired boy immediately jerked away from the sudden contact with a bewildered expression. "What are you doing?!"

Arietta quickly pulled her hand back, blushing slightly at the realization of her rather bold action.

"I-I was just making sure you didn't have a fever…" Arietta said shyly while looking to the side to avoid Sync's gaze.

Sync lifted an eyebrow, giving the timid girl a questionable look. She was extremely confusing to him and he just couldn't quite figure her out.

He didn't even know why he came to school in the first place, especially since he didn't have anything to hide his face with. He considered taking a piece of cardboard that was in the recycling and making a mask out of it. However, on second thought, Sync didn't want to look ridiculous* and would probably attract more attention that way.

Education never meant much to him since he accepted the fact that he would never be able to outdo Ion in that aspect. He also wasn't too fond of the idea of "four-eyes" scolding him for skipping out on a week's lesson plan.

So why did he come?

Before he could come up with an answer, his stomach suddenly let out a rather loud growl.

Arietta couldn't help but giggle at Sync's expense as the boy turned red from embarrassment.

"Sounds like you skipped lunch again," Arietta said. "You should really take better care of yourself."

Sync grunted in annoyance before turning his back to her, trying to hide the massive blush on his face.

When he took a step, he suddenly felt disoriented and stumbled slightly. He quickly leaned back a little and brought a hand to his head to try and steady himself.

However, the pounding in his head returned with a tremendous rush of pain, causing a curse to escape the green-haired boy's mouth.

"Sync?" Arietta said as she slowly walked closer to him.

Sync gradually sank to his knees as he clutched his head tighter. Everything felt like pure agony and there was nothing he could do to stop it as his migraine came into full effect.

"Sync! Sync speak to me! What's wrong?" Arietta cried as the boy in front of her writhed with pain, clutching his head as if it was going to split apart.

A bead of sweat slipped down the side of Sync's face as he struggled to keep everything together. But the pain was immense and he wasn't sure how long he would be able to hold out.

"What's going on out here?"

Arietta whirled around to see a woman with short, silver hair and blue eyes. Though she didn't know her well, Arietta recognized her as one of the teachers from the high school section.

"Sync's in pain! Please help him!" Arietta cried.

The woman's eyes widened in alarm before quickly coming to the two students' sides. "Sync, talk to me. Where does it hurt?"

"Ngh…!" Sync muttered through gritted teeth as his whole body started trembling.

"It looks like a migraine…" She turned to Arietta. "I will try my best to help him. But migraines are powerful things so I might only be able to soothe a little of the pain."

Arietta nodded. "Please, anything to help."

* * *

After a few hours, Sync finally woke up, having fallen asleep after taking some medicine.

"Ah, good, you're awake," the silver-haired woman said as she came over and sat down on a chair that was sitting next to the bed.

"…Who are you?" Sync muttered.

"I am Professor Sage. I teach history and healing artes in the high school section of the academy." The woman introduced herself.

Sync had heard of her. She was known as the youngest teacher working at the academy, along with being the strictest.

"Where am I?" Sync asked sheepishly while rubbing the back of his neck.

"You passed out from a migraine. You've been asleep for about four hours," Professor Sage explained.

Sync cursed under his breath before the woman lightly hit him over the head with her clipboard. "Watch your language."

"Peh," Sync grumbled while rubbing his head.

He glanced over to the side to see an empty chair next to the bed. His eyes narrowed before looking down at his lap, feeling somewhat disappointed, much to his confusion.

"So she left, huh?"

"Well, actually-"

Before she could finish, the door to the nurse' office opened and Arietta rushed in with a tray of food.

Sync stared at her in disbelief as Arietta's pink eyes lit up upon seeing him awake.

"Sync! You're awake!"

"Uh, yeah," Sync said, his usual poker face coming back. "I thought you left."

"I did for a little, but that was because I went to go pick something up for you," Arietta said as she walked over and sat down in the chair next to the bed.

She placed the tray onto Sync's lap, which had a bottle of milk and a ramen bowl sitting nicely on the tray.

Sync eyed the food in front of him with a confused expression before glancing over at Arietta questionably.

"What's this for?"

"Professor Sage said that it would be best that you eat something considering you hardly eat anything." Arietta said as Sync merely grunted.

"It's true. You need to keep your strength up and I hardly believe that your eating patterns are considered healthy," Professor Sage inquired as she glanced at the tray of food. "Though I don't think ramen is the most healthy choice of food for a migraine."

Arietta blushed in embarrassment before looking down at her lap. "Oh, I-I'm sorry. I really didn't know what to get so I just went down to a local grocery outlet."

"It's fine for now, as long as he gets something in his stomach. However, I will have to recommend that you eat more fruits and vegetables with low citrus content and also try and avoid processed foods," Professor Sage explained. "And do make sure you eat at least three meals a day."

Sync narrowed his eyes at the food tray before him and pushed it away from him. "I'm not hungry."

Arietta looked at him skeptically before removing the lid to the ramen bowl, filling the room with the oriental smell of noodles.

A rather loud growl sounded from Sync's stomach as he stared down at the large bowl of steaming hot ramen.

"Not hungry, hmm?" Professor Sage chuckled as Sync blushed slightly in embarrassment.

Although he was hungry, he couldn't bring himself to accept this food. Not only did he feel a little awkward, as he never really ate in front of people, but he also felt uneasy about paying someone back.

He always did things on his own accord without the help from anyone else. No one had ever done something like this for him before. However, if he said he didn't appreciate it, he would be lying.

Arietta tilted her head to the side, confused as to why Sync was only staring at his food. "It's going to get cold if you don't eat it soon. Or do you not like ramen?"

"…N-No, that's not it…It's just…" Sync stammered before his stomach let out another cry for food.

He glanced uneasily from Arietta to the food.

Noticing his discomfort, Professor Sage stood from her seat and walked over to the door.

"I'll be right back. I have some paperwork that I haven't filed yet," the silver-haired woman said over her shoulder. "Make sure he eats while I am out."

Arietta stared at the woman in surprise before quickly nodding.

Professor Sage smiled softly before stepping out of the room, leaving the two to have their space.

Though it was only the two of them, Sync still felt uncomfortable. He had never eaten with anyone, more so because no one ever invited him. What made it more awkward was that Arietta was just watching him. Isn't there anything else she could be doing?

"What's wrong? Do you not like ramen?" Arietta asked, tilting her head to the side curiously.

"…Could you not stare at me like that? It's making me uncomfortable." Sync said as he glanced at her with an annoyed expression.

Arietta's face immediately lit up from a massive blush spreading across her face before looking off to the side.

"O-Oh…sorry." The pink-haired girl muttered.

A pang of guilt slightly tapped against Sync's chest. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, not that he cared, but he didn't like people watching what he was doing. If he were to make a mistake, everyone would surely notice.

He glanced over at Arietta from the corner of his eye, seeing that she was now placing her attention on the floor. At that moment, his stomach let out another loud growl and he quickly placed his hand over it in a vane attempt to soothe it. If he didn't get a bite to eat soon, he would surely pass out again.

Finally, pushing his insecurities aside for the moment, Sync hesitantly picked up the chopsticks that were placed beside the bowl.

Swallowing a rather large lump in his throat, he slowly brought the first bite into his mouth. Upon contact with his tongue, a combination of warmth and flavor overtook his senses. The experience was both intriguing and surprising. After a few more bites, Sync began to enjoy his meal and allowed himself to relax despite Arietta being in the room with him.

* * *

Arietta turned back and looked at Sync in surprise, seeing a rather child-like awe and a soft glimmer in his eyes.

It almost seemed as if he was eating dare she think happy. In all the time that she had known him, Arietta had never seen Sync look so peaceful before. Even when he was relaxing on the field, he always looked bothered and grumpy. She couldn't help but think that it was a little cute, though Sync would probably murder her if she ever told him.

He had started eating his ramen slow, but once he had gotten comfortable, he had devoured the whole bowl in mere minutes as if he hadn't eaten in days.

Sync pushed the tray away and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before patting his rather satisfied stomach.

Arietta couldn't help but let out a small giggle, earning her an annoyed glare from the green-haired boy.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just that…" Arietta giggled again as Sync raised an eyebrow at her. "You seem to be enjoying yourself. It's different from the way you usually act towards things."

Sync stubbornly looked away before unscrewing the top to the milk bottle. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

After taking a few swigs, Sync let out a content sigh. "I just haven't had anything this filling in a while, okay?"

"I can tell," Arietta said as Sync shot her another glare.

The two sat in an awkward silence, neither one knowing what to say next.

Arietta nervously wrung her hands together, unable to come up with a topic of conversation.

After a while, Sync broke the silence by letting out a grunt. "Hn…thanks."

His last comment caught Arietta off guard as she widened her eyes and stared at him in shock. She could have sworn that her ears were playing tricks on her. However, the expression on his face told her otherwise.

"I don't have that much money right now, so I won't be able to pay you back for a while. So…" Sync muttered with a scowl despite a small blush tinting his cheeks.

He glanced over to look at her, seeing her still shocked expression. "What's with the look?"

Snapping out of her stupor, Arietta quickly shook her head. "N-No, it's just…I never expected you to thank me is all."

"…"

"Anyways, don't worry about paying me back. It's my treat." Arietta said with a small, shy smile.

Sync scratched his cheek sheepishly with an agitated expression. However, he did not object.

He peeled the blanket off of him and swung his legs off the edge of the bed.

As he stood to leave, Arietta abruptly got out of her chair and rushed over to him.

"Wait! I don't think you should be up yet!"

"I'm fine." Sync said as he tried to push past the pink-haired girl, despite her protests.

The two ended up wrestling with one another as Arietta tried to get him to lie back down.

"What the hell are you doing?! Cut it out!" Sync cried as he desperately tried to pry Arietta off of him after she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind.

"You have to rest!" Arietta insisted as Sync's eye twitched in annoyance.

It was obvious that Sync wasn't at full strength considering how his attempts were more desperate and lacked as much force than usual. She should know considering he had pinned her to a wall with little difficulty a few weeks after she had transferred.

His leg suddenly jerked backwards, tangling itself with Arietta's. When he attempted to kick forward, his leg got caught and sent the two stumbling backwards.

Arietta let out a squeak of surprise as Sync quickly whirled around. The two tumbled onto the floor in a flurry of movement and a loud thud.

"Ow…" Arietta moaned as she felt the back of her head throb after hitting the tile floor.

She heard Sync curse above her before she glanced up at him and felt her face immediately turn beat red.

Sync was currently hovering over her, on his hands and knees. Her head were between where his hands were planted on the tile floor with his face mere inches from her face.

The green-haired boy's were slightly widened in shock as the two stared at each other.

From such a close distance, Arietta could make out almost every detail on his face. Though it was tempting to compare his facial features to Ion, she noticed several differences. His eyes and cheekbones were somehow sharper than Ion's, who was more rounded.

After a moment of awkward silence, Sync broke it by attempting to speak.

"Erm, are you-"

However, before he could finish, the door to the infirmary opened.

"I'm back," Professor Sage announced as she entered the room. "How is Sync do-"

She stopped abruptly when she spotted the two on the floor in a suggestive position.

The room fell deathly silent. If someone were to drop a pin in the room, everyone would be able to hear it.

Arietta could feel her face heat up more and more from embarrassment with each passing second.

"T-This isn't what it-!" Arietta was cut off when Professor Sage's expression darkened.

She quickly strode over to the two of them and grabbed Sync by the back of the collar. With incredible strength, she yanked the unsuspecting green-haired boy off of Arietta, flinging him across the room.

"GAH!" Sync cried before landing hard on his back. "What the hell are you – urk!"

Sync instantly froze upon seeing the murderous look in the teacher's gaze.

"What do you think you're doing?" Professor Sage asked darkly, causing Sync to flinch. "I will not tolerate such unsightly behavior at this school!"

Arietta could only watch in utter bewilderment as the professor started beating the living daylights out of Sync by casting several light attributed spells.

"W-Wait professor! It was an accident! We weren't-! Sync's still recovering!"

**To be continued...if Sync is still alive that is XD  
**

* * *

**Phew, so glad I was able to finish this chapter. Hope it wasn't too bad. Yes, lots of crossover Tales characters for fun. :) Don't expect the next chapter soon since this new school year is going to be crazy for me. Hope you all enjoyed it! Please leave a review! ^_^  
**

**Can you name all the crossover characters in this chapter?**


End file.
